The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-09-07

they re too cunning Tor me; either i get
asleep watching, or they come nights when
I'm not up. They steal my apples, break
down branches, and give me no end OF
worriment. Sometimes I've thought Of
selling out on account Of them"
"They never trouble me at all" said Mr..
Norris.
"wen, declare How do you man
age?"
"yery simply When boy comes to me
for apples take him out into my orchard,
fill his pockets, and send him away as
happy as lord.
Mr. Peck elevated his nose, and uttered
q contemptuous exclamation.
"And tell him., continued the other,
shat he may always pick up apples from
the ground TO eat, but that he must not
climb the trees. In this way / have pre-
served my orchard from injury, and kept
on the very best of terms with the bows"
$50 you allow the young pirates to levy
tribute on you as the price OF good con-
duct?"
Mr.. Norris laughed as he replied.
ave look mt this matter from very differ
ent positions, Mr.. Peck. The value of all
the fruit given away in this manner during
a season is trihing. and 1t seems to me
very slight concession TO make for peace and
exemption from damage. / believe most
/ lhNlh are uhluIullN NhSh JOu
can really get to their hearts. and I'd rather
have them for my friends than my enemies
especially in apple time. And then I'm
! not ashamed to say that L used to be a boy
| myself and that l have never quite got
| over it. Yes. L like to see the little fellows
| happy; and if few apples now and then
will make the world brighter to them, GER
tainly am not the man to refuse"
All sentimental stuff, Mr.. Norris. My
apples are my own property; l don't choose
| TO give them away, and l won't submit any
longer to have them stolen. l shall get
savage bulldog to guard them; and if that
won't work, Ill set n spring-gun."
"Im very sorry you feel so on the sub
! ject. The law will not Justify you in such
extreme measures-surely not in using fire.
arms or spring guns"
But I'll do it'll be Hanged if don't"
And Mr.. Peck laid his whip emphatically
over the backs OF his unotfending horses
and went on.
Mr.. Peck was man whose vindictive
| feelings would at any time overbalance his
! judgment, and he now proceeded without
delay to fulfill his threats. 1t is perhaps
unnecessary to say that this story describes
boys not as they ought to be, but as they
were in the nei9hborheod where its scene
| is located. The apple crop was super
|
highly appreciated indulgence of Mr.. Nor
ris was sufficient to furnish all the fruit
That the juveniles could desire; but because
"old Peck" had driven them harshly away
| they were not satisfied short of eating
! his apples. In the convention held at
recess he was unanimously voted IA stingy
| old hunks, and il was determined that his
orchard should be robbed. The attempt
was made one dark night soon after the
conversation we have detailed. dozen
! boys of from twelve to fifteen years
secretly left their beds, and assembling
near Mr.. Peck's orchard, silently scaled
the high wall and began their foray. 1t
had hardly commenced when deep growl
| from the distance warned them of impend-
| ing danger. Tie retreat was hasty, but
| successful; one of the boys suffering n
severe bite in the calf of the leg as he
mounted the wall. 1t may be added that
the same boy endured some of the pains
of martyrdom in the next week, while res
olutely keeping the knowledge of this
occurrence from his parents.
Two DAYS after this occurrence Mr..
Peck's ferocious dog was found dead. He
had been poisoned.
The rage of the owner was unbounded.
He called at the school and emptied the
walls OF his wrath; but the master informed
I
entail discipline-provided he could find
the guilty parties. He then visited every
home that sent boy to school, and de-
manded the summary punishment of that
boy. Mr.. Peck was hardly more n favorite
with the grown-up people of the neighbor-
hood than with the boys; but this was a
serious matter, and an investigation was
made to find the culprits. 1t is unneces-
sary to say that they were not found. Boys
who will do the things that l have de-
scribed will never hesitate to cover up their
tracks by lying; and so it was here.
Money was flowing into Mr.. Peck's
hands for the products of his orchard; so
long as he felt that a single apple
was being taken without payment, he was
bound to be miserable. His next resort
was spring gun, which he rugged up one
afternoon and set in the orchard. A loud
noise from il that night awoke him, and he
rushed out, only to find the gun demol-
ished and useless. 1t afterward transpired
that the operation OF setting it had been
watched by some interested parties through
chink in the wall.
For one whole week following did Mr..
Peck lie in wait each night for the thieves,
and he did not see one of them. There was
at least one old head upon young shout
ders among the offenders, and the word
had been passed round that the orchard
must not be molested again until the pro-
prietor had sufficient time to cool off. F"
| That unhappy proprietor was enraged, dis
/ gusted and mystihed. He had tried every
remedy but on for the evils that afflicted
him, and to this one he now resorted with
reluctance. Whatit was will appear further
on.
1t was a moonlight night when the boys
next made an incursion into Mr.. Peck's
orchard. They filled their pockets with
the fruit, they ate more than they wanted,
and then they proceeded to hang up to a
limb an efigy of the owner, which they had
brought along with great trouble and diff
Guilty. 1t was after midnight when they
were safe in the highway again, and then
their mirthful mood was somewhat dis
turbed by the near approach of horse and
buggy.
"halloo, boys" cried familiar voice.
What's going on? Nothing wrong.
hope"
The young culprits hung their heads
in silence not afraid, but thoroughly
ashamed, for the speaker was their kind
T.